Hocken. — Early Neiv Zealand Literature. Ill 



in 1845. The Southern Cross in its first number was very 

 bitter with it, and indulged on the occasion in one of those 

 newspaper amenities which were then so common. One of 

 its bitter references was : " For sale or hire, in about a fort- 

 night, a defunct Government engine used for stifling the fire 

 of the people ; rather shaky, having lately stuck fast in the 

 swamp of Queen Street. . . . Has been well greased 

 lately, its head turning with marvellous facility in any 

 direction. Apply at the Chronicle office." 



I have now to say a few words regarding the Southern 

 Cross and the New-Zealandcr, and with them can close the 

 reference to the early Auckland papers. Both were of, or 

 soon assumed, a very different and superior character from 

 their predecessors, of whom so little can be said beyond a 

 mere cataloguing, and both form a link connecting the old 

 with the modern newspaper literature. 



Dr. Martin, it will be remembered, terminated the exist- 

 ence of the old Herald, much against his will, in April, 1842, 

 when the plant was sold to the Government. He was, as we 

 have seen, highly indignant with the weak-kneed proprietors 

 of that journal, and his first act was to bring an action against 

 them for breach of his engagement as their editor. This he 

 won, and £640 was awarded him. He further relieved his 

 wounded feelings by writing a little pamphlet or letter, now 

 extremely rare, addressed to Lord Stanley, then the Principal 

 Secretary of State for the Colonies, entitled " New Zealand 

 in 1842 ; or the Effects of a Bad Government on a Good 

 Country." This pamphlet of thirty-two pages, 8vo, may, I 

 think, be considered the first pamphlet printed in New Zea- 

 land. No longer restrained by interference with the freedom 

 of the Press, or Newspaper Acts, or charge of libel, he here 

 writes to his heart's content and in his most vigorous style. 

 His next step was to receive type and press, and on the 

 22nd April, 1843, appeared the Southern Cross, New Zealand 

 Guardian, and Auckland, Thames, and Bay of Islands Adver- 

 tiser. The motto chosen was " Luceo non Uro" ; but, as we 

 can well fancy, it would have been better "Luceo et Uro." 

 The proprietor was Mr. William Brown, of the well-known 

 firm of Brown and Campbell, a gentleman of wealth, attain- 

 ments, and true citizenship. The old shanty in which it was 

 printed was in Shortland Crescent, where I saw it about 

 twelve years ago on the point of removal. Dr. Campbell gave 

 me at the time much information regarding the history of the 

 paper. 



In 1844 Dr. Martin and Mr. Brown visited the Home- 

 country — the former never to return — leaving the charge of 

 the paper in Dr. Campbell's hands, Mr. Terry editing it, at 

 a considerable loss, however. Dr. Campbell accordingly de- 



